Time to reclaim the high street!
THE sun is beating down on Patrick’s Street, the curved artery that runs through the heart of Cork City. The wide pavements are busy and there is a steady flow of traffic, whose noise is competing with busking bands belting out traditional tunes.
For a little while it feels really normal, just like the last time I visited on a sunny summer afternoon, long before the Covid-19 crisis hit. But then you notice the closed down shops, conspicuously large premises with windows whitewashed with paint.
Debenhams is the most obvious loss, while further up the street Monsoon with its distinctive burgundy-coloured shopfront is closed, Clarks shoe shop is missing, while Oasis is holding a closing down sale. And then there are the smaller shops, empty of stock with ‘For Rent’ signs in the windows.
Like every city around the country, Cork is now getting used to a changed retail landscape, unsure of when, if ever, other businesses will come in to fill the voids left behind. While the arrival of the UK retail multiples caused dismay for long-term independents and family-run retail shops on the street, their disappearance is also being met with quiet alarm.
As one businessman explains: ‘The net result of all these closures is that it won’t be good for anyone. People will eventually say: “There’s very little in Cork City.” And won’t bother coming in. All these properties that are vacant, who’s going to start a new business now?’
But although there is anxiousness, there is also a stubborn and determined optimism on St Patrick’s Street.
Shops that were closed for three months are now back, with all the required protocols and equipment in place to prevent the spread of the virus.
They have spent the last couple of weeks welcoming back loyal customers. And while trading conditions are undeniably challenging, owners and managers insist they can weather this particular storm.
The Irish Daily Mail spoke to several of them to see what it’s taken to stay open and how they plan to remain on Patrick’s Street for the years ahead.